Decorative material for handbags



Sept. 27, 1949. G. e. RONA DECORATIVE MATERIAL FOR HANDBAGS Filed Feb. 4. 1946 INvENToQ." Gusm 1 EON/9.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1949 DECORATIVE MATERIAL FOR HANDBAGS Gustav G. Rona, New York, N. Y., assignor to Corona Enterprises, Inc., New York, N. Y.

Application February 4, 1946, Serial No. 645,398

6 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a material adapted for use in making handbags and to a method of making such material and handbags therefrom.

It has become the vogue to make handbags out of plastic material having the appearance of patent leather. This plastic material is a relatively thin and pliable material which has sufiicient body and strength to retain curvatures imparted thereto as by perpendicularly arranged sets of rows of stitching. In stitching the plastic material, it is folded first along one axis and then at right angles thereto, it being understood that a plurality of parallel rows ofv stitching in one direction is completed before the parallel rows of stitching are made at 90 thereto. In this way the surface of the material is checkered or provided with contiguous squares or rectangles. Certain difficulties arise in carrying out these operations, with the result that the finished material does not present a uniform or highly attractive appearance. This is due in part to the crossovers which have to be made in making the second set of rows of stitching. The material is bunched and bulky at such points on one side of the material and distorted under tension on the other side, so that it is not possible to produce the desired effect of a series of squares or rectangles which have an attractive, convex curvature, free from pulling and flattening at the corners.

My present invention is predicated on the discovery that the wanted effect can be readily produced by first subjecting the material to preparatory perforating and slitting operations and such constitutes one object of the invention.

Another object of the invention resides in perforating and slitting the plastic bag material when an integral sheet is used, prior to carrying out the stitching thereof.

A further object of the invention comprises the fabrication of handbag material, the surface of which is provided with squares or rectangles or other polygonal figures, of uniformly attractive appearance, without bunchiness or cross-overs on one side, and without distortion and flattening at the corners on the other side.

Generally speaking, the invention is directed toward the elimination of the undesirable features and disadvantages of prior constructions and the securing of new and highly useful and unique effects not heretofore obtained, so far as I am aware.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a blank of 2 plastic handbag material prepared for use, in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the exposed or right side of the finished material.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the opposite side of the finished material.

Fig. 4 is a section taken through Fig. 3 along line 4-4 thereof.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a single unit used in a modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing the right side of a fabric made up with the unit shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a strip or ribbon showing an application of the invention.

The plastic material it is prepared for use by perforating it at spaced points to produce the apertures H and by slitting the material longitudinally and transversely, as shown at [2, the slits terminating short of the apertures. Both the apertures and the slits are arranged in longitudinal and transverse parallel rows. The slits extend between the apertures but are shorter in length than the distances between the apertures. The apertures are preferably circular but it will be understood they may be of any suitable shape.

The next operation is to fold and stitch the material shown in Fig. 1. In this part of the procedure, the material is folded successively along each line of slits and apertures and sewed slightly in from the folded-over edge, on a sewing machine. All the stitching is carried out in one direction before folding and stitching in a direction at right angles to the first rows of stitching. As will be apparent from Fig. 3 in particular, this results in two series of slightly raised ribs, one series l3 running in one direction and the other series It running at right angles thereto. At each intersection, a small space l5 exists, which prevents bunching of the material, and which allows for movements of the rib ends in response to flexing movements of the material or the article produced therefrom.

The right or exposed side of the material is shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be appreciated that a plurality of contiguous rectangular elements H5 are formed, which are of a convex nature. In other words, the material rises on all four sides from the lines of stitching, with a convex curvature, and rapidly merges into a central portion which, while also convex, is relatively flat. The configuration is approximately that shown in Fig. 4. For convenience and brevity, these elements are hereinafter referred to as pillow-shaped. Typical rows of stitching are designated by the numeral ll (Fig. 4)

The material so produced may advantageously be formed into handbags or pocketbooks, of various shapes, styles and. sizes. The material is pref- 5 erably glossy like patent-leather, but may have a matte surface, if desired. Any color may be employed which can be given to the material. Black or white tmaterziale: may also be eutilizedr The: right or-exposed side -is attractively and uni-- formly composed of a plurality of pillow-shaped rectangles, in this case squares, which avoid the pulling, flattening and distorting;characteristic-e of prior materials of this general type.

While it may be preferable"td -faibribate the decorative material out of an integral-sheet or-p1as-- tics material, it will be ObVlOtlSuthfizt the methodss described herein may advantageously be used with any heavy flexible material. For instance;- leather or imitation leather may be so fabricated. Besideawwhilei f 0].131183 purpose of: illustration, the. fabric has beennshown: andflescribed as :being made up not rectanglesyit' :willkbeunderstood that the material-canas wellwbeifabricated to present-any series -of:pol-ygonal-fignres..: Instead of using an integral sheet itimaybedesirable to usesingle blanks, a plurality. ,ofrwhich :may :be joined to produce an entire fabricated sheet-having pilz-i low-shaped :rectangless Sucl-r-a (unit is showrrin Fig. 5, wherein the area embraced :by the brokenline square. would repz:eseni:v..smlstantially the shape of the finished:-pilloweshapedrectangleJ'Ea; the margins l8 constituting the material whicheis joined. stow. the margins. of adjacent. units. The

corners 9.;are. cut. away. so; .asto accomplish the.'

same. purpose as. .previously,;described,. with. respect toFigs. 1 'to 4 inclu'siye...v or, it may. be de-.. sir'able td-fabricatathe material oia plurality of. differentlycolored. or otherwise dissimilar tapes or; bandstoproduce ple'asingand. artisticiefiects. such case,. bands- 20 may, bausedf and provided withthe slits I20; therein, as Well as the indenta-L tions l I a, for avoidingthe bunchiness at the cross-over of .the seamsfas heretofore described.

The apertures .l I in Fig. lfand their counterparts..45.;

l9- and I fa in Figsxe and? 'respectively,ineed not be circular,"as shown? Obviously, these apertures may be 'of'almost any -desired; shape;

The "invention" has "been illustrated "and de-v scribed as using thread-stitching forfproducin g thedesired effects, but applicant doestnot'desire. to be so limited as his invention as disclosed here inymay'as Well be applied-andntiliZed when the uniting of the portionsis accomplished in some way'other thanbythread stitching," as for instance,--by-=what is calledradio stitching or byuse of adhesives or metal stitchesvetc."

Other articles or objects-can be'produce'd fronr the completed material and variousmodificationsmay beimade so long. as they ern'bodythe' spirit 0 and principles herein setforth. L. The invention is-1 rather. that defined by'the subjoined claims;

H'afvi-ng thus='describe'cl rmy invention, what I' claim as new and desiredtd secure by Letters Patent, is :1 6

1. A relatively thin and pliable plastic material, one surfacezoftwhichlisr composed .of rectangular pi'llow'eshapedvelements, theemarginal edges ofeach or. whichr arestitched' ito 'adjoining;elements to provideronzthe :opp0site=surfa;ce, two parallel 7 sets of interrupted ribs disposed at right angles to each other, and the intersections of which have a small space to avoid bunching and crossing-over of the material.

2. A blank of relatively thin, pliable plastic material having a plurality of sets of parallel rows of apertures one set being arranged at right angles to the other, and slits extending between but terminating short or such apertures and arranged to define *a plural-ityof contiguous rectangular elements.

3. A method of making the material defined by-claimis which'comprises perforating and slitting a relatively thin, pliable plastic material to form a blank' suecessiv'ely folding the blank along liries' defin'ed-bythe perforations and slits thus formedulandcstitching the folded-over portions slightly inwardly from the edges of the folds, thereby-- forming contiguous pillow-shaped elements on one surface ofxthe material and sets of paralleli'interrupted ribs orrthe other; surface, one

set pf ribs beingdisposedsat right anglesto then otherrseig'and thzmaterialvbeing concaveibetween:

ribs.

4.- A method "of? ma king-a rde'corative material havingaone- :surface thereof provided. with con:- tiguouszpillow shaped' elements defined by stitching," whichficomprises perforating and slitting a piece of relatively thinypliable :plastic material' to-iprovide' parallel rows OfuSlits interrupted by perforations; folding the 'material successively along. suchfrows'sand 'stitchingpthei folded over material;

59A relatively: thin" and pliable plastic rmaterial, one surface of whichcistcomposed 'of'polygonal.

pillow shaped elements;= the marginal "edges: of each' of. which-"are joined "or' secured to" marginal edges of 'adjoining elements to provide onthe opposite surface; two parallel sets of interrupted ribssdisposedrat an angle :to xeach other, and the intersectionsof which have a small space to avoid bunching :and crossing 'over of the material;

6.- Azmethoct of making the material defined in:

claimfi which. comprises zperforating. and slitting a relativelyithinpliable plastic material to form' a blank; successivelyfolding,the blank along lines defined by the perforations and-"slits thusf'ormed;

anduniting the-'folded-over. portionsaslightly in wardlyfrom the edges of.-the folds,thereby.forming; contiguousze pillow-shaped elements on one surface of the material and sets of parallelyinterruptedribsaomthe'other'surface, one set of ribs being disposedatv antangle to the other" set, andthe material being concave between the ribs.

GUSTAV G. RONA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references file-ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS are of record "in the 

